In retirement several things happen that changes the way we reload for some of us.

A large living space is no longer needed,a lot of time on our hands and the wallet is watched ever more closely.

I no longer have a basement or loading room so the desk in a second bedroom becomes ground zero for reloading.

The time element had me buying a Lee Hand Press,Lee Hand Primer and a Lee Powder Measure/Stand.Fifty years ago it was a few Star Machines,Star Sizer/Luber,Rock Chucker,H&G Molds and bullets/primers bought by the truck load along with 100lb sacks of corncob.

The hand tools are good exercise doing the 45 ACP and Long Colt.

Today it's .45ACP with Perfecta cases,Federal Match Primers,Red Dot powder and Berry's bullets.

A box of 50 in an hour from out of the case tumbler to finishing the last round crimping is the goal plus or minus a few cups of coffee and a head call.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

What a tidy, compact reloading area! I have been thinking of a hand press also. I want to do some of my reloading in a motel room where I spend four nights a month for work. Right now I can only re-prime cases there. Keep us posted as to how well it works.
Scott

I doubt I ever downsize that much. A ss press I easier to work with, but to each his own. Retirement is a great job if you can get it.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Some nights I relax in my Lazy Boy decapping and neck expanding while watching a ball game.

A single stage uses about the same amount of space as a turret and requires bolts or clamps.

The hand press goes where I go.

The only down side of the hand press so far is that it will only hold about 30 to 40 spent primers depending on the primer size before the shell holder needs to be removed and the spent primers dumped out.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

What a tidy, compact reloading area! I have been thinking of a hand press also. I want to do some of my reloading in a motel room where I spend four nights a month for work. Right now I can only re-prime cases there. Keep us posted as to how well it works.
Scott

As I get older I am loosing full use of my hands.

This is absolutely NOT a way for me to go. Good luck.

You could easily fit a small single stage press in that space, like the RCBS partner Press. But, it works as is!

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USAF, 69-92
Vietnam, 72-73

Have you found a reloading method that's easy for you?

My 73 years young hands and upper body are still in fairly good working condition but my ankles is where I'm feeling the pain.

I take an 81mg aspirin daily to keep the red stuff flow'in unobstructed.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

Years ago I was in a motorcycle accident and had a flail chest with all the complications. Now additionally I have neuropathy in both hands and legs. Cramps, locking joints and just overall limited use of legs and hands.

I use a Redding turret press and a bench mounted priming system. I go in stages and do what I can to keep shooting.

I use Wilson hand dies with a hammer and small arbor press. I can do all I need on a small desk. Some years ago I had Neal Jones make a set of hand dies for the 41 Mag.

This Is another reason to go to a progressive press like a 550. Yes it cost more & you probably don't need the speed BUT, you get one round for every single pull of the handle instead of 3-4 pulls. That saves quite a bit of work on us old guys. Even if I went back to reloading in a 24x36 coat closet, 100rds a week, I would do it on a 550.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Only for .38S&W... so far
Looking for a similar set in .44-40 w.c.f.

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Jamie wants big boom

I realized that I could do the hard work on my regular press, but lighter operations like flaring, bullet seating and crimping I could do in my easy chair with the hand press, the same way I prime now.

Oh and speaking of lever movement I noticed in a Dillon Video that the girl in the demo more or less moved the lever on the progressive press back and forth in a much shorter motion that I use on my single stage. My right shoulder is starting to give me trouble, which could also be helped by a hand press.

I've also thought of making a short offset handle for my single stage for the light operations like the ones I mentioned above.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I use one - with an RCBS collet set as a bullet puller.
Much less violent and more controlled than using a hammer type puller.

Lee hand press for 1000's of rounds!

You missed what I said completely.

In a small 2 bedroom apartment it's all about the space available to do the reloading and store it after the session.

In retirement I have lots of time on my hands that loading with the hand press takes up nicely and I get quality ammo.

Almost everything I use has been purchased at a discount,closeout,auction,previously owned,yard/garage sale etc.

Being frugal with my reloading leaves extra cash for .45cal revolver purchases.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

I bought me a bench like this when i moved to an appartement.
A single stage LEE for all reloading. Stores hanging on the wall in my closet.

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Jamie wants big boom

I have found them so handy I bought two. Do a lot of reloading chores inside the heated and cooled house. Not confined to a bench in the garage, it's hot / cold , humid and mosquitoes can get you out there.
I have three bench mounted presses for heavy duty jobs , but just about all handgun loading and 30-30 win. gets done with the Hand Press.
I put together a portable kit in a gym bag and reload at my desk at work.
At home all my gear stays in a big plastic tool box stored in the closet.
I can reload at the kitchen table , easy chair , desk , even sitting on the bed !
I'm not into quantity reloading so the single stage press handle all my needs , the Lee Hand Presses allow the portability factor that I really appreciate. I think they are one of Lee's great idea's. I like them !
Gary

I've used a Lee Hand Press for close to 30 years for several pistol and rifle rounds. I like the idea of feeling what is happening at each stage, but it is slow.

I recently bought on closeout the Lee Classic Powder Measure and stand that cuts ammo production time more than half compared to before when I measured each load on the Academy Sports closeout NIB RCBS 10-10 scale.The Lee Powder Measure is accurate with the powders I use plus it comes apart easily and stores nicely in the bottom desk drawer.

I got a very good buy on 5lbs of Trail Boss powder and 2000 LP primers yesterday from a gun club member that no longer needs them.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

I used to use a lyman tong tool 310 for most of mine including neck sizing 243 and '06. I've been on lookout for a Wilson Pak-tool but haven't seen on in years now. Would like to reload 38s&w and 38 spec.

I use my Lee Hand Press often. I like to sit on the living room floor and visit with the wife while I size a bucket of pre-lubed brass. Sometimes I'll seat bullets with the hand press, although ball powder is tough to vacuum from our living room carpet.

I have a 256 Newton rifle, circa 1916. I use a Newton hand press for reloading the 256 Newtons. Kinda cool:









The tool will de-prime, prime, size, seat and crimp. Comes in a cardboard storage tube with the instructions printed on the tube. amazing 100-year old technology.

I started reloading about forty years ago with a Lee "wack a mole" loader. Loaded thousands of 38 wadcutters with that. Then I got a Lee turret press that I used for a few more years before getting out of shooting completely to chase "little green fish" as a club level tournament fisherman.

When I got back into shooting I didn't have the room for a full sized reloading setup, so I got a Lee Hand press and have never looked back. I reload 38/357, 9mm, and 44 Special/44 Magnum with it.



Everything packs back up and fits into a desk drawer when not being used.

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John 3:16 .

Me too. Arthritis locking up my fingers joint by joint. I only hope it doesn't get so bad I can't shoot.

If I downsize, a few calibers will have to go to reduce component storage. Then I'll go back to what I did in the early apartment days; one of those rubber jar gripper pads under and a C-clamp over the base to hold a single stage press to the kitchen table.

Good job making the most of your situation. What is that nice looking green mat under your workspace?

Fred I couldn't agree with you more. Even if it were a single stage like a Rockchucker, that would be 100 times better than a hand press and there is no way I personally would use one of those handpresses as my main ammo making machine.

If I shot 25 rounds per month then maybe I would feel differently but at that point I would be thinking why bother at all?

About 50 years ago with little space and less money I bought a Lyman 310 and loaded lots of rounds on my coffee table .Later used RCBS on a folding work bench.I didn't load for a long time but last year started again and did most of my 45 Colt with the old 310.It still works great,when you can find powder and primers! It is nice to sit in an easy chair and still do some work.

Anyone else us a RCBS(Huntington) W hand press? Easy to work with but wish I had 3 of them so I could set up an entire caliber(3 dies) and not have too reset for each operation.

Which do you use?

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

The 1st one - I think it's the "later model.

I remember, when I was a kid, 8 years old (1966). My mom took me to the dentist and I had several cavities filled. Our dentist was an old man and was old school. Believe it or not, he didn't use any novocaine, at least I didn't get any. All I remember was it wasn't a happy time. It wasn't until I was in high school that I went to the dentist again and at that point I had to go, but not to that guy.

But this isn't about dentistry. It is however about pain management. About the time I went back to the dentist, I needed a new wheel for my bicycle. I got a book from the library and taught myself how to lace (install spokes) and true a bicycle wheel. A freshman in high school building a set of bicycle wheels from components is I think the exception but it wasn't an on-going process. I did it one time and then it was years before I did it again.

Being nostalgic for the old days is nice but at my age I want novocaine. I don't want a handpress. If all I had to choose from was a handpress then maybe. But I found out a few years ago that if I drive my car down this road that leads to the other side of the mountain, that there is a whole lot of world on the other side.